Front Burner: Natural green food dye
Eric Brady l The Roanoke Times
Whether it is a scarlet raspberry sauce streaked across a white plate, a basketful of fresh oranges, or an elaborate wedding cake with a sugary waterfall of purple pansies, it is often the color of food that makes our eyes sparkle – and our stomachs growl.
As evidenced by those raspberries, nature has generously provided a plethora of hues already. And, as evidenced by that wedding cake, humans love to create beautiful, edible and colorful art inspired by the real thing.
Many turn to the easiest tool: artificial food coloring. I’ve used it myself and I’ll use it again, because it is uber-convenient. But another part of me feels that artificial food coloring (heck, any artificial food) is kind of creepy.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved artificial food colorings used today. But about one year ago, the agency began to ponder warning labels for products with fake coloring based on the possibility that it could exacerbate behavioral problems in kids.
I can understand why some parents would want to limit the rainbow of faux-colored foods their kids ingest. Some adults, too, probably aren’t enticed by the thought of eating something called erythrosine or tartrazine.
But that shouldn’t mean we have to eat generic white cupcakes for the remainder of our lives. Brands such as India Tree and Sur la Table make and sell natural food dyes (these products are mostly available online). It can also be fun to play with natural ingredients such as beets or avocados to create lovely hues.
To continue reading this column and to see recipes for Avocado Frosting, Naturally Green Cake, Zucchini Cake with Lime Frosting and Green With Envy Cheesecake Bars, click here.
March 14, 2012 - 9:48 AM
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I am so frustrated trying to use your site!!!!!! I saw a Stroganoff Meat Pie recipe in the paper last week (I am a subscriber). Well, I looked through my saved papers and could not find it so I have looked all over the RT website and found zilch. I even remembered the name of the dish and the cute photos that were featured with it, but can I find it online a week later-heck no!!!! But lots of really ancient recipes for other things show up. Please make the site better.
Is the avocado frosting good?
I hate that you can no longer see the most recent comments on your blog. I wish they could fix it.
Ann Childress: I’m so sorry you had trouble finding that recipe. I located it and it was an Associated Press recipe we ran last week. I have entered it into the PlateUp recipe database and you can find it and print it out here: http://www.roanoke.com/food/recipes/details/?rid=1440&sorig=qs
Debbie, yes, the avocado frosting is very good. It has a very citrusy flavor. My husband gave it a thumbs up and that says something. I do think the shelf life on anything frosted with it is about 2 days because it begins to discolor.
Regarding the recent comments, I passed that along to our online team and was under the impression they were fixing it. I will follow up with them now. Thank you for bringing it to my attention again.
Lindsey brought some cupcakes to a meeting, and I tried the avocado one and it was very good. It tasted more lemony than like avocado. I wouldn’t have known that’s what it was had she not told us.
Thanks for posting the recipe, now I don’t have to email you and ask for it:)
Hey Debbie, I think we’ve got the recent comments fixed. But if anybody is still having trouble seeing them, please do not hesitate to let me know. I want to make sure they show up with all browsers.
It is fixed now, Lindsey. Thanks
Here’s a recipe that uses artificial food coloring but looks interesting nonetheless: http://theaveragegirlsguide.com/2012/03/green-chocolate-bark/
It strikes me that you could add peppermint extract and, if desired, maybe omit the craisins and add dark chocolate chips with the almonds or something.